This invention relates to a blood oxygenator with heat exchanger.
In certain surgical operations on the human body, extracorporal blood circulation must be set up for a certain period of time. For this purpose oxygenators are used which besides oxygenating the blood also allow the blood temperature to be raised or lowered as necessary.
While known oxygenators have given satisfactory results, they have presented certain disadvantages, the most felt of which consists of the fact that complete and perfect mixing between the blood and the oxygen is not always obtained, with the result that oxygenation is only partial.
A further disadvantage which often arises is the fact the oxygenators of known are considerably bulky, which creates utilisation and positioning problems. The object of the present invention is to eliminate the aforementioned disadvantages by providing a blood oxygenator with heat exchanger which ensures perfect and complete mixing between the oxygen and the blood, so providing total blood oxygenation.
A further object of the present invention is to provide an oxygenator of extremely compact form, this form being obtained by rationally and effectively distributing its component parts.
A further object of the present invention is to provide an oxygenator which allows the blood flow to be visually checked during its passage through the oxygenator.
A further object of the present invention is to provide an oxygenator which is easily constructed starting from elements commonly available commercially, which does not require any special manufacturing techniques and which is of very low cost, to the extent that it may be used as a "disposable" oxygenator, i.e. usable once only.